Interchangeable construction elements and method of using same



Jan. 28, 1964 K. A. MOORE INTERCHANGEABLE CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Filed May 28, 1959 FlG.l

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INVENTOR.

Kenneth A. Moore United States Patent Ofi ice Patented Jan. 28, 1954 The present invention comprises interchangeable construction elements and method of using same and has for an object to provide elements, preferably made of plywood, the basic elements being of identical pattern which may be used singly or in multiple and joined together without the use of nails, screws, adhesives, or other conventional means commonly used for this purpose.

Other objects of this invention are to provide construction members including basic pattern elements and interfitting auxiliary elements which later may be engaged horizontally or vertically with one or more of the basic elements while the latter are positioned in a horizontal or vertical plane; to provide construction members which may be made of wood, metal or other suitable material composed essentially of basic elements, one face of each of which is patterned to permit interfitting of these elements, as well as being adapted for the reception of auxiliary elements which may be used in many ways on and with the basic elements; and to provide a method of using symmetrical construction elements for the erection of building structures of various miscellany including walls, partitions, etc., as well as for the erection of house and building appurtenances, such as shelves, etc.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following description of the present preferred form of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying dawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan or front elevational view of construction elements of the present invention illustrating various ways in which the elements may be interengaged;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the manner of mounting two auxiliary elements on a basic element;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing interengagement of two of the basic elements; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the manner of splicing two basic elements together by use of an auxiliary element.

This invention includes the use of construction members which are here designated as basic construction elements numbered lit), 11 and 12 and auxiliary construction elements 13, 14 and 15. The pattern of the basic elements is the same, each having rows of grooves formed in one face of an element, as indicated at 16 and 17. The grooves run from one extreme edge of the element to the other, at right angles, to provide rows of square protrusions 18. All of the elements, basic and auxiliary, may be made of plywood or other suitable material and are preferably rectangular or oblong.

Illustrative of an infinite variety of uses of these elements are the splicing together of basic elements and 12 by auxiliary element 15, as shown in FIG. 1. Here the elements 10 and 12 are uniplanar, either horizontal or vertical, and the element 15 is at right angles thereto. Element 15 is hand-pressed into corresponding grooves 16 of elements It and 12 between parallel rows of protrusions 18. This provides an interlocking connection to prevent accidental displacement of the connected elernents.

Illustrative of the interengageability of the basic elements is the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In these figures the element 11 has been hand-pressed into one of the grooves 16. This leaves the grooves 17 of the element 11 open on the inside or underside, as the case may be, for the reception of one or more auxiliary elements, after the fashion shown in FIG. 1. Experiment has shown that construction elements as herein shown and descri ed may be used with facility and expedition in building constructions as such, as well as in the erection of shelves, closets, etc. All construction is feasible, both full-size and miniature, with appropriate changes of materials to sustain the loads or stresses under which the building or the elements will be placed. Furthermore, it is to be understood that this invention also lends itself for use in various wall designs, and the like, where it is desired to appeal to the esthetic sense as well as to maintain the utilitarian functions of the elements.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. For use in the construction of buildings and the like, interchangeable elements usable in both vertical and hori- Zontal planes, uniformly spaced protrusions on one face of each element, an edge of one of said elements being inserted between, and frictiona'lly engaged with, the uniformly spaced protrusions of the other of said elements, to eifect retention of the elements at right angles to each other when interengaged.

2. Building construction means comprising like basic construction elements, one face of each element including spaced grooves at right angles to each other to provide rows of square protrusions, an edge of one element being selectively received in one of the grooves of the other element, the protrusions of said other element adjacent the edge of the first element frictionally engaging the latter to retain said element from displacement.

3. Building construction means comprising like basic construction elements, one face of each of said elements having grooves at right angles to each other to provide rows of square protrusions, the thickness of said basic construction elements being substantially equal to the distance between the rows of protrusions, an edge of one of the elements being inserted between adjacent rows of protrusions to frictionally retain said elements at right angles to each other.

4. Building construction means, as set out in claim 3, with the addition of an auxiliary element, the thickness of which is substantially equal to the distance between adjacent rows of protrusions, an edge of the auxiliary element being selectively engaged with one of the grooves of the basic construction elements between adjacent rows of protrusions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,204,319 Parsons June 11, 1940 2,332,081 Hunt Oct. 19, 1943 2,686,344 Van de Veer Aug. 17, 1954 2,760,275 Stein Aug. 28, 1956 2,883,764 Stephens Apr. 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 470,886 Italy 1952 

1. FOR USE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE, INTERCHANGEABLE ELEMENTS USABLE IN BOTH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PLANES, UNIFORMLY SPACED PROTRUSIONS ON ONE FACE OF EACH ELEMENT, AN EDGE OF ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING INSERTED BETWEEN, AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED WITH, THE UNIFORMLY SPACED PROTRUSIONS OF THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS, TO EFFECT RETENTION OF THE ELEMENTS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER WHEN INTERENGAGED. 